If the team's medical staff is convinced, the 39-year-old veteran will likely be in the net for Wednesday night's home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"I felt really good today. I told (goalie coach Chris Terreri) if they need me tomorrow, I'll be OK to play," Brodeur said after practice. "The practice today was probably the hardest as far as reaction wise and competing wise that I was able to do. It was a really good sign for me.

"I've felt good for a week now without much trouble, so you eventually have to make a decision on saying I'm OK. So I told him. I told him I felt good, so I should be playing then. I'm OK to go. After that, they have to make the right decision with back-to-back games also. It's a benefit to everybody we have two goalies (ready)."

Coach Pete DeBoer said he would make his decision after talking to Brodeur and the trainers.

"We're going to have a meeting on that," DeBoer said. "We have to talk to the trainers. So possibly. There is medical clearance stuff that we have to discuss."

Brodeur admitted there is the risk of re-injuring his right shoulder, which he hurt while making a diving save on Oct. 13.

"Oh yeah. There's no doubt about that. I tweaked my shoulder. It was an old injury that I tweaked again and it could happen again," he said. "We'll stay on top of it and hopefully I won't have to go through that again, but it's a possibility. I rehabbed it. I didn't fix it."

He said he hoped he wouldn't require surgery on it at some point in the future.

"I hope not. I don't want to lose a summer of golf," he joked.

Until he feels 100 percent for an extended period, Brodeur won't rest easily.

"I need to push it to the extent of not thinking about it," he explained. "Day after day I was getting better. It took a while to get to the point of almost where I was when I left three weeks ago. I'm happy with the way it's feeling and the way I've been able to react. It was a lot of hard work. Going on the road (with the team) was really a big benefit."

Brodeur was completely honest in admitting age has been a factor in his injuries the past few seasons-- a torn biceps tendon, bruised elbow, sprained knee and injured shoulder.

"It is. I was fortunate for a lot of years to play without any issues. These are coming later on in my career," he noted. "I think with the wear and tear of playing so many games and playing at a high level every year it's going to happen to everybody. It's just the way it is.

"You want to hold back a little more and take care of it a little better, but it seems the more I take care of it the worse it gets. I might go back to what I was doing at 21. That's nothing."

His days of playing 70 games are gone.

"Definitely. It's going the other way. I'm going to be playing a lot less games than I used to," Brodeur said. "I'm getting older and the league is tougher than it used to be. It's not by choice. It's because I've been getting injured lately."

But he has no regrets.

"I wouldn't trade anything I did in my prime to try to get better now, that's for sure," Brodeur stressed. "I won Stanley Cups and did a lot of great things, so it is what it is. One day I won't be playing anymore."

Asked about his work load, Brodeur said: "I have to take my time with this. I'm coming back but I don't want to come back for a couple of games. I want to come back for the rest of the year. Whatever they want me to play, I'll play. We've got 70-some games and I have one game played (actually, two). So it will probably be around 60 games."

Three weeks is a along time between games.

"It is for me. For anybody, I think. We were fortunate to have about five days off during those three weeks, but it's a lot of games and a lot of time to miss," Brodeur said. "You want to be part of the team. Every time you're injured they kind of put you aside, to a certain extent. It's kind of nice to be back this week practicing with the guys."

DeBoer has been pleased with Johan Hedberg's play, but said Brodeur's return could be an emotional boost to the team.

"I'm sure it gives you a lift. He's maybe the best goaltender of all-time and one of the leaders in the dressing room," the coach said. "I think just having him healthy, whether he's playing or on the bench, can definitely help. Having said that, he can't score goals for us or run the point on the power play. Those are things we have to fix."

* * *

Winger Eric Boulton (right hand) said he is ready to play.

Boulton skated on the fourth line, but DeBoer said there is also a matter of medical clearance for him.